Linear semiconductor processing facilities

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are provided for handling materials, including materials used in semiconductor manufacturing systems. The methods and systems include linear semiconductor processing facilities for vacuum-based semiconductor processing and handling, as well as linkable or extensible semiconductor processing facilities that can be flexibly configured to meet a variety of constraints.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of International ApplicationPCT/US2004/037672, filed Nov. 10, 2004, and U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/985,834 filed Nov. 10, 2004 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,763), bothof which claim priority to U.S. Provisional App. Ser. No. 60/518,823,filed Nov. 10, 2003 (now expired), and Ser. No. 60/607,649, filed Sep.7, 2004 (now expired).

This application is also related to the following commonly-ownedapplications, each filed on Nov. 10, 2004: U.S. application Ser. No.10/985,844 (now abandoned), U.S. application Ser. No. 10/985,730 (nowabandoned), U.S. application Ser. No. 10/985,839 (now U.S. Pat. No.7,422,406), U.S. application Ser. No. 10/985,727 (now U.S. Pat. No.7,210,246), U.S. application Ser. No. 10/985,843 (now abandoned), andU.S. application Ser. No. 10/985,846 (now abandoned).

Each of the foregoing applications is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, andmore particularly to machines used for material handling and transportin a vacuum environment.

2. Description of the Related Art

Current semiconductor manufacturing equipment takes several differentforms, each of which has significant drawbacks. Cluster tools, machinesthat arrange a group of semiconductor processing modules radially abouta central robotic arm, take up a large amount of space, are relativelyslow, and, by virtue of their architecture, are limited to a smallnumber of semiconductor process modules, typically a maximum of aboutfive or six. Linear tools, while offering much greater flexibility andthe potential for greater speed than cluster tools, do not fit well withthe current infrastructure of most current semiconductor fabricationfacilities; moreover, linear motion of equipment components within thetypical vacuum environment of semiconductor manufacturing leads toproblems in current linear systems, such as unacceptable levels ofparticles that are generated by friction among components. Severalhybrid architectures exist that use a combination of a radial processmodule arrangement and a linear arrangement.

One form of linear system uses a rail or track, with a moving cart thatcan hold an item that is handled by the manufacturing equipment. Thecart may or may not hold the material on a moveable arm that is mountedto it. Among other problems with rail-type linear systems is thedifficulty of including in-vacuum buffers, which may require sidewallmounting or other configurations that use more space. Also, in arail-type system it is necessary to have a large number of cars on arail to maintain throughput, which can be complicated, expensive andhigh-risk in terms of the reliability of the system and the security ofthe handled materials. Furthermore, in order to move the material fromthe cart into a process module, it may be necessary to mount one or twoarms on the cart, which further complicates the system. With a railsystem it is difficult to isolate sections of the vacuum system withoutbreaking the linear motor or rail, which can be technically verycomplicated and expensive. The arm mounted to the cart on a rail systemcan have significant deflection issues if the cart is floatedmagnetically, since the arm creates a cantilever that is difficult tocompensate for. The cart can have particle problems if it ismounted/riding with wheels on a physical rail.

A need exists for semiconductor manufacturing equipment that canovercome the inherent constraints of cluster tools while avoiding theproblems of current linear tools.

SUMMARY

Methods and systems are provided for handling materials, includingmaterials used in semiconductor manufacturing systems. The methods andsystems include linear semiconductor processing facilities forvacuum-based semiconductor processing and handling, as well as linkableor extensible semiconductor processing facilities that can be flexiblyconfigured to meet a variety of constraints.

In one aspect, a system disclosed herein includes a plurality ofprocessing modules, each processing module performing one or morefabrication processes on a workpiece, the processing modules arrangedfor sequential processing of the workpiece in a sequence from a firstprocessing module to a last processing module; and at least onemid-entry point between the first processing module and the lastprocessing module configured to at least one of add the workpiece to thesequence and remove the workpiece from the sequence at the mid-entrypoint.

The system may include a controller for controlling the sequentialprocessing. The controller may be integrated with a visualizationsoftware program. The system may include one or more mid-entry points,each mid-entry point positioned between two of the plurality ofprocessing modules. The system may include an air-based delivery systemfor delivering items to and from at least one of the one or more ofmid-entry points. The workpiece may be processed in a selected,sequential subset of the plurality of processing modules. The sequentialsubset may include a single processing module. At least one of the oneor more mid-entry points may include a load-lock facility having aheating element for heating the load-lock to mitigate condensation onthe workpiece. The at least one mid-entry point may include a heatingelement operable to heat the workpiece to a temperature closer to anoperating temperature of a vacuum environment of the plurality ofprocessing modules. The plurality of processing modules may beconfigured to maintain a vacuum environment, the at least one mid-entrypoint including a heating element operable to cool the workpiece to atemperature below an operating temperature of the vacuum environment andabove an ambient temperature. The system may be adapted to process theworkpiece non-sequentially within the plurality of processing modules.The system may be adapted to process the workpiece in a single one ofthe plurality of processing modules. The system may be adapted toprocess a plurality of workpieces in parallel in the plurality ofprocessing modules.

In another aspect, a system disclosed herein may include a plurality oflinkable processing modules, each linkable processing module capable ofperforming one or more fabrication processes on a workpiece, and theplurality of linkable processing modules linked together to maintain acontrolled environment wherein a first one of the plurality of linkableprocessing modules provides an entry point for processing of theworkpiece and a second one of the plurality of linkable processingmodules provides an exit point for processing of the workpiece; and aplurality of robots within the controlled environment, the plurality ofrobots configured to handoff the workpiece to one another.

The robots may hand off to each other directly. The robots may hand offto each other using a buffer station. The buffer station may be capableof performing a processing step including one or more of heating,cooling, aligning, inspecting, testing, or cleaning the workpiece.

In another aspect, a semiconductor fabrication facility disclosed hereinincludes a plurality of linear semiconductor handling systems, theplurality of linear semiconductor handling systems arranged end to end,each one of the plurality of linear semiconductor handling systemsincluding at least one robot for handling a workpiece, and at least oneof the plurality of linear semiconductor handling systems beingextensible such that a user can add one or more additional vacuumchambers to increase capacity.

In another aspect, a semiconductor fabrication facility disclosed hereinincludes a plurality of extensible semiconductor handling systems,wherein the plurality of extensible semiconductor handling systems isbalanced for throughput by allocating one or more robotic devices andone or more process chambers among the plurality of extensiblesemiconductor handling systems to establish substantially similarprocessing times for each one of the extensible semiconductor handlingsystems.

In another aspect, a semiconductor handling system disclosed hereinincludes a vacuum processing system disposed in a substantially linearconfiguration having a loading end and an exit end; and a non-vacuumreturn system for returning an item from the exit end to the loadingend. The system may include two or more robots within a vacuumenvironment of the vacuum processing system, each of the two or morerobots operable to hand off a workpiece to at least one other one of thetwo or more robots. The vacuum processing system may include a mid-entrypoint disposed between the loading end and the exit end, and the returnsystem may be connected to the mid-entry point. The non-vacuum returnsystem may include a slide mechanism and a gripper for moving the itemfrom the exit end to the loading end, the item including one or more ofa workpiece, a plurality of workpieces, and a carrier. The loading endmay include a load-lock with a work piece heating facility for heating awork piece from an ambient temperature to a temperature closer to anoperating temperature of the processing system. The exit end may includea load-lock with a work piece cooling facility for cooling a work piecefrom an operating temperature of the processing system to a temperaturecloser to an ambient temperature.

In another aspect, a method disclosed herein includes providing arobotic drive, an end effector for manipulating items, and a robotic armthat connects the robotic drive to the end effector, the robotic armincluding a plurality of links; controlling operation of the roboticdrive with a controller, the controller integrated with a visualizationsoftware program; and interconnecting the plurality of links to eachother such that the end effector moves in a substantially lineardirection under control of the robotic drive, the robotic arm includinga facility for alignment of the end effector.

The plurality of links may include four or more links. The robotic drivemay be disposed in a removable cartridge. The facility for alignment mayinclude a sensor for sensing an alignment of the end effector. Thesensor may be used to train the robotic arm.

In another aspect, a system for handling material includes a four-linkSCARA robotic arm disposed in a vacuum handling system, so that thefour-link SCARA robotic arm can handle a material in the vacuum handlingsystem.

The vacuum handling system may be a linear handling system. The vacuumhandling system may include a plurality of process modules for asemiconductor manufacturing process. The system may include a pluralityof robotic arms. The system may include one or more drives for actuatingmovement of the four-link SCARA robotic arm, the one or more drivespositioned outside the vacuum handling system and coupled to the roboticarm through a vacuum-sealed interface.

The above systems and methods may be usefully combined with othermethods and systems disclosed herein. Numerous examples of such othermethods and systems, along with various combinations thereof, areprovided below. All such combinations, variations, and modifications ofthe subject matter disclosed herein are intended to fall within thescope of this invention.

Provided herein are methods and systems used for material transport, inparticular a handling system, such as a vacuum handling system, that canmove wafers or other substrates in a very compact footprint. While themethods and systems can be used for semiconductor manufacturing, itshould be understood that the methods and systems described herein couldbe used in any processes or industries where it is advantageous tohandle materials in a vacuum. As used herein, except where the contextdictates otherwise, the terms manufacturing equipment, handling system,robotic handling system, vacuum handling system, semiconductor handlingsystem, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, wafer handling system,manufacturing system, and the like are intended to encompass all typesof systems, processes and equipment for handling and manufacturing itemssuch as semiconductor wafers or other items.

Methods and systems are provided for handling an item in a manufacturingprocess, including a plurality of process modules, each for executing aprocess on the item, and at least one 4-link robotic SCARA arm formoving the item between process modules. In embodiments, the methods andsystems are used in connection with a vacuum handling system.

The methods and systems include a plurality of process modules, each forexecuting a process on the item and a dual robotic arm facility, whereinthe dual robotic arm facility includes a top arm and a bottom arm forhandling items between process modules. In embodiments the dual roboticarm facility comprises two opposed 4-link SCARA arms.

Methods and systems include a plurality of process modules disposedalong an axis in a substantially linear arrangement and at least onehandling facility for moving the item from one process module to anotherprocess module, wherein the handling facility comprises a robotic arm.In embodiments the methods and systems include a vacuum manufacturingfacility. In embodiments, the robotic arm is a single or dual SCARA arm.In embodiments, the SCARA arm is a 4-link SCARA arm. In embodiments thearm is a single, -dual, or Leap-Frog-leg style arm. In embodiments, theSCARA arm has more or fewer than four links.

Methods and systems include a substantially linear arrangement ofmanufacturing equipment, having an input end and an output end, whereinthe manufacturing equipment includes a vacuum facility and a returnfacility for returning the item to the input end after an item arrivesat the output end during the manufacturing process. In embodiments themanufacturing equipment includes a plurality of process modules, whereinan item is moved between process modules by a robotic arm facility. Inembodiments the robotic arm facility is a SCARA arm facility. Inembodiments the SCARA arm facility includes a 4-link SCARA arm. Inembodiments the SCARA arm facility includes dual opposed 4-link SCARAarms. In embodiments the return facility is an air return while theprocess modules are in a vacuum.

In embodiments there could be multiple input and output facilities alongthe linear system. In embodiments an air-based gripper can take acarrier with wafers and put it into the linear system at a point otherthan the initial entry point, such as half way down the line. Inembodiments a gripper can remove material at a location other than theend exit point, such as at the midpoint of the line.

In embodiments, the methods and systems disclosed herein arecurvilinear; that is, the linear systems do not have to be in astraight-line configuration.

In one aspect, a system disclosed herein includes a plurality ofprocessing modules, also referred to as process modules, each processmodule performing one or more fabrication processes on a workpiece, theprocess modules arranged for sequential processing of the workpiece in asequence from a first process module to a last process module; and amid-entry point between the first process module and the last processmodule configured to add a workpiece to the sequence or remove aworkpiece from the sequence at the mid-entry point.

The workpiece may enter the sequence at the mid-entry point. Theworkpiece may exit the sequence at the mid-entry point. The system mayfurther include a plurality of mid-entry points, each mid-entry pointpositioned between two of the plurality of processing modules. Thesystem may further include a return mechanism that moves the workpieceto a first one of the plurality of mid-entry points and retrieves theworkpiece from a second one of the plurality of mid-entry points. Theworkpiece may be processed in a selected, sequential subset of theplurality of processing modules. The processing modules may be arrangedto perform a plurality of different fabrication processes depending uponat least one of a mid-entry point where a workpiece is added to thesequence or a mid-entry point where the workpiece is removed from thesequence. The mid-entry point may connect a plurality of differentmanufacturing facilities. The manufacturing facilities may be arrangedto conserve space. Two manufacturing facilities may be more spaceeconomical when connected by a mid-entry point than when separated. Theprocessing modules may operate on the workpiece in a controlledenvironment. The controlled environment may include at least one of avacuum, a controlled pressure, a controlled temperature, a controlledair purity, or a controlled gas mixture.

In another aspect, a method for processing a workpiece as describedherein may include arranging a plurality of processing modules in asequence to sequentially operate on a workpiece; connecting two of theprocessing modules through a mid-entry point; and adding a workpiece tothe sequence at the mid-entry point. In another aspect, a method mayinclude arranging a plurality of processing modules in a sequence tosequentially operate on a workpiece; connecting two of the processingmodules through a mid-entry point; and removing a workpiece from thesequence at the mid-entry point.

A method disclosed herein may include providing a plurality ofvacuum-based processing modules about a substantially linear axisbetween a loading end and an exit end; and providing an intermediateload lock facility for depositing items to or removing items from thevacuum-based processing modules between the loading end and the exitend.

The method may further include providing an air-based delivery systemfor delivering items to and from the intermediate load-lock facility.The method may include introducing an item at the intermediate load lockpoint. The method may further include removing an item at theintermediate load lock point. The method may include providing aplurality of intermediate load lock points along a sequential process,each one of the intermediate load lock points position between twoadjacent vacuum-based processing modules. The method may includeproviding a return mechanism for moving an item to or from one of theplurality of intermediate load lock points. The workpiece may beprocessed by a selected, sequential subset of the plurality ofprocessing modules between two of the intermediate load lock points. Thevacuum-based processing modules may be arranged to perform a pluralityof different fabrication processes depending upon at least one of theplurality of intermediate load lock points where a workpiece is added tothe sequence or one of the plurality of intermediate load lock pointswhere the workpiece is removed from the sequence. The load lock pointmay connect a plurality of different manufacturing facilities. Themanufacturing facilities may be arranged to conserve space. Two of theplurality of manufacturing facilities may be more space economical whenconnected by a load lock point than when separated. The vacuum-basedprocessing modules may operate on a workpiece in a controlledenvironment. The controlled environment may include at least one of avacuum, a controlled pressure, a controlled temperature, a controlledair purity, or a controlled gas mixture.

A system described herein may include a plurality of processing modulesarranged in a sequence to sequentially operate on a workpiece;connecting means for connecting two of the processing modules through amid-entry point; and adding means for adding a workpiece to the sequenceat the mid-entry point.

A system described herein may include a plurality of processing modulesarranged in a sequence to sequentially operate on a workpiece;connecting means for connecting two of the processing modules through amid-entry point; and removing means for removing a workpiece to thesequence at the mid-entry point.

In another aspect, a manufacturing facility described herein may includea series of vacuum-based process modules for processing items; and apair of load locks for delivering items to and taking items from one ormore of the vacuum-based process modules, wherein the load locks aredisposed in a vertical stack in proximity to one or more of thevacuum-based process modules.

The system may further include one or more robotic arms for handlingitems. The one or more robotic arms may include a SCARA arm. The one ormore robotic arms may include a four-link SCARA arm. The one or morerobotic arms may include a three-link SCARA arm. The one or more roboticarms may include a pair of vertically stacked four-link SCARA arms. Inembodiments the arm is a single, -dual, or Leap-Frog-leg style arm. Thesystem may include multiple pairs of vertically stacked load locks atdifferent points in the handling system. The different points mayinclude an entry point and an exit point of the semiconductor handlingsystem. The different points may include an intermediate point of thesemiconductor handling system.

A manufacturing facility described herein may include a roboticcomponent; a workpiece; and a sensor for monitoring a process performedon the workpiece by the robotic component. The sensor may include atleast one of a light sensor, a contact sensor, a proximity sensor, asonic sensor, a capacitive sensor, and a magnetic sensor. The sensor mayinclude a vertical proximity sensor. The sensor may include a horizontalproximity sensor. The system may include a plurality of sensorsdiagonally arranged. The system may include a plurality of proximitysensors in a plurality of locations. The sensor may include a sensor fordetecting movement of one or more of the workpiece, the roboticcomponent, or an effector arm. The system may include a plurality ofsensors used to determine a position of the robotic component. Thesystem may include a plurality of sensors positioned to detect a finalposition of the robotic component. The final position may be an extendedposition or a retracted position or an interim position between anextended position and a retracted position. The sensor may provide asignal used to verify a path of the workpiece. The sensor may detect theworkpiece shifting out of location. The fabrication process may bestopped in response to a signal from the sensor that the workpiece hasshifted out of location. The robotic arm may move the workpiece to asafe location. The robotic arm may move the workpiece automatically. Therobotic arm may move the workpiece under user control. The sensor may beused to prevent collision of at least one of the robotic arm or theworkpiece with the manufacturing facility.

The sensor may communicate to a transmitter. The transmitter may includea wireless transmitter. The wireless transmitter may communicate asensor signal from the sensor to a wireless receiver. The wirelessreceiver may be connected to a processor. The processor may indicate toa user a location of the sensor. The sensor signal may indicate alocation of the sensor. The system may include a battery that suppliespower to the sensor. The system may include a battery that suppliespower to a transmitter coupled to the sensor. The sensors may be used totrain the robotic component. The robotic component may be trained in avacuum. The sensor may be wirelessly coupled to an external receiver,thereby preventing a need to vent the vacuum to atmosphere and the needto bake moisture out of a processing module of the wafer fabricationsystem after exposure to atmospheric conditions. Sensor feedback mayprovide a position of the sensor. The sensor may be attached to theworkpiece. The sensor may be placed within a processing module of thewafer fabrication system. The sensor may be used in a hazardousenvironment. A user may control the robotic component based upon sensorfeedback. The sensor may be used for non-collision training of therobotic component. The non-collision training prevents collision of atleast one of the workpiece or the robotic component. The sensor mayprovide a location of the robotic component, the robotic componentincluding one or more robotic arms. The sensor may provide a location ofthe workpiece, the workpiece including a semiconductor wafer. The sensormay provide an orientation of the workpiece, the workpiece including asemiconductor wafer. The sensor may be positioned within a processingmodule of the wafer fabrication system.

In another aspect, a method for instrumenting a robotic wafermanufacturing system as describe herein may include: providing a roboticcomponent; providing a workpiece; and positioning a sensor on at leastone of the robotic component, the workpiece, or a chamber of aprocessing module surrounding the robotic component and the workpiece,the sensor monitoring a fabrication process performed on the workpieceby the robotic component. Another method may include providing a roboticarm for a semiconductor manufacturing process; and providing a pluralityof sensors for detecting a position within a processing module of themanufacturing process, the position including a vertical position and ahorizontal position.

The sensors may detect a position of an end effector of the robotic arm.The sensors may detect a position of the robotic arm. The sensors maydetect a position of a workpiece held by an end effector of the roboticarm. The workpiece may be a wafer and at least one of the sensors may bepositioned to be covered by the wafer when the robotic arm is beingretracted. The workpiece may be a wafer and at least one of the sensorsmay be placed outside a radius of the wafer so that the sensor detects aleading edge of the wafer and a trailing edge of the wafer during amovement of the wafer between an extended and a retracted position ofthe robotic arm. A detection of the leading edge and the trailing edgeis used to determine whether the wafer is centered on an effector of therobotic arm. The sensors may include an optical beam-breaking sensor. Atleast two of the sensors may be positioned across a vacuum chamber fromeach other. The sensors may be arranged along a diagonal of a vacuumchamber. The method may further include providing a mirror to direct abeam from at least one of the sensors within a vacuum chamber. Themethod may further include detecting a position of the robotic arm totrain the robotic arm to perform a semiconductor handling action.

In one aspect, a handling method disclosed herein may include providinga workpiece with a sensor for detecting a condition in proximity to theworkpiece; disposing the workpiece in a handling system; and receivingdata from the sensor in order to detect a condition related to handlingof the workpiece by the handling system.

The workpiece may be a semiconductor wafer. The workpiece may beconfigured in the shape of a semiconductor wafer. The sensor may be atleast one of a proximity sensor, a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor,a thermometer, a pressure sensor, a chemical sensor, a radiationdetector, and a magnetic sensor. The method may include transmittingradio frequency data from the sensor. The method may includecommunicating data from the sensor to the handling system. The methodmay include detecting a proximity of the workpiece to a feature of thehandling system. The method may include training the robotic arm in asemiconductor handling process using data from the sensor. The handlingsystem may be a semiconductor handling system.

In another aspect, a system described herein may include a handlingsystem; a workpiece disposed within the handling system; and a sensorconnected to the workpiece, the sensor detecting a condition inproximity to the workpiece, the sensor providing a signal related to thecondition.

The workpiece may be a semiconductor wafer. The workpiece may beconfigured in the shape of a semiconductor wafer. The sensor may be atleast one of a proximity sensor, a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor,a thermometer, a pressure sensor, a chemical sensor, a radiationdetector, and a magnetic sensor. The system may include a transmitterfor transmitting radio frequency data from the sensor. The workpiece mayhave a data connection to the handling system. The sensor may detect aproximity of the workpiece to a feature of the handling system. Therobotic arm may be trained to perform a semiconductor handling processusing data from the sensor. The handling system may be a semiconductorhandling system.

In one aspect, a system described herein may include a robotic componentpositioned in a vacuum maintained in a chamber of a vacuum manufacturingprocess; and one or more drives for actuating movement of the roboticcomponent, the one or more drives including motor drive hardwareexternal to the vacuum.

The motor drive hardware may include one or more electrical wires. Themotor drive hardware may include one or more encoders. The motor drivehardware may include one or more signal LEDs. The motor drive hardwaremay include one or more pick-ups. The motor drive hardware may includeone or more bearings. The motor drive hardware may include one or moremagnets. The motor drive hardware may be sealed from the vacuum, such asusing lip-seals or ferrofluidic seals. There may be a minimal outgassingof components. The system may include a vacuum pump that provides quickvacuum pump downs. Serviceability of the motor drive hardware may beimproved by permitting access to the motor drive hardware withoutreleasing the vacuum in the processing module. The motor drive hardwaremay include robot drives. The motor drive hardware may be external tothe processing module. The motor drive hardware may be positioned topresent minimal surface in the vacuum. Minimal materials may be used tominimize outgassing. Positioning of motor drive hardware outside thevacuum may provide for quicker pump down. The system may include atleast one drive cavity for the robotic component. The vacuum may bemaintained in the drive cavity. The volume of the drive cavity may besmall.

A system for driving a robot in a vacuum-based semiconductor handlingsystem as described herein may include a drive cartridge that providesrotary drive force to a drive shaft for a robot; and a rotary seal unit,wherein the rotary seal unit seals the drive cartridge outside thevacuum while the drive shaft is disposed in the vacuum.

The drive cartridge may include a pair of drive cartridges each havingan integral encoder, bearings, and magnets. The rotary seal unit may bea concentric, multiple-shaft rotary seal unit. The rotary seal unit mayuse a lip seal. The rotary seal unit may use a ferrofluidic seal. Thedrive cartridge may be coupled to the drive shaft for removability andreplaceability.

In one aspect, a method described herein may include positioning arobotic component in a vacuum maintained in a chamber of a vacuummanufacturing process; positioning one or more drives for actuatingmovement of the robotic component outside the vacuum, the one or moredrives including motor drive hardware; and coupling the roboticcomponent to the one or more drives through a vacuum-sealed interface.

The motor drive hardware may include one or more electrical wires, oneor more encoders, one or more signal LEDs, one or more pick-ups, one ormore bearings, and/or one or more magnets. The motor drive hardware maybe sealed from the vacuum, such as using lip-seals or ferrofluidicseals. There may be a minimal outgassing of components. A vacuum pumpmay provide quick vacuum pump downs. The serviceability of the motordrive hardware may be improved by permitting access to the motor drivehardware without releasing the vacuum in the processing module. Themotor drive hardware may include robot drives. The motor drive hardwaremay be external to the processing module. The motor drive hardware maybe positioned to present minimal surface in the vacuum. Minimalmaterials may be used for to achieve minimal outgassing. The motor drivehardware may be positioned outside the vacuum to provide for quickerpump down. The method may include providing at least one drive cavityfor the robotic component. A vacuum may be maintained in the drivecavity. The volume of the cavity may be small.

A system described herein may include a robotic component positioned ina vacuum maintained in a chamber of a vacuum manufacturing process; oneor more components of motor drive hardware external to the vacuum; andcoupling means for coupling the one or more components of motor drivehardware to the robotic component.

A semiconductor manufacturing system disclosed herein may include aplurality of vertically stacked loading stations; and a plurality ofvertically stacked processing modules.

Four or more vertically stacked process load stations may be provided.One of the plurality of vertically stacked loading stations may feed amanufacturing process that includes one or more of the plurality ofvertically stacked processing modules. A second one of the plurality ofvertically stacked loading stations may be loaded while the one of theplurality of vertically stacked loading stations feeds the manufacturingprocess. Loading of the plurality of vertically stacked loading modulesmay be coordinated to minimize wait time. The plurality of verticallystacked processing modules may be arranged to reduce a footprint for thesystem. At least one robot may be able to access any one of thevertically stacked load stations. The system may include a plurality ofvertically stacked exit stations.

At least one robotic component may be able to access any one of thevertically stacked exit stations. At least one robotic component may beable to access more than one vertically stacked process module. At leastone robotic component may be able to access more than one horizontallyadjacent processing module. The system may include at least one holdingstation between two horizontally adjacent processing modules. The systemmay include one or more vertically stacked mid-entry stations. Thesystem may include at least one robotic component that can access morethan one vertically stacked mid-entry station. A workpiece may movethrough a plurality different paths of adjacent processing modules. Theplurality of vertically stacked processing modules may include one ormore vacuum-based processing modules. The system may include a pluralityof vertically stacked load locks disposed in proximity to at least oneof an entry point or an exit point of the semiconductor manufacturingprocess. The plurality of vertically stacked processing modules may bearranged in a substantially linear configuration. The system may includeone or more robotic arms that move workpieces among the plurality ofvertically stacked processing modules. The system may include at leastone of a top robotic arm set and a bottom robotic arm set. At least oneof the one or more robotic arms may move vertically to access a topprocess module of a one of the plurality of vertically stacked processmodules and a bottom process module of the one of the plurality ofvertically stacked process modules. At least one of the plurality ofvertically stacked process modules may include more than two processmodules in a vertical stack.

Disclosed herein is a method for arranging processing modules in asemiconductor manufacturing process comprising: providing a plurality ofprocessing modules; arranging at least two of the plurality ofprocessing modules so that they are horizontally adjacent; and arrangingat least two of the plurality of processing modules so that they arevertically adjacent.

Four or more vertically stacked loading stations may be provided. One ofthe plurality of vertically stacked loading stations may feed amanufacturing process that includes one or more of the plurality ofvertically stacked processing modules. A second one of the plurality ofvertically stacked loading stations may be loaded while the one of theplurality of vertically stacked loading stations feeds the manufacturingprocess. Loading of the plurality of vertically stacked loading stationsis coordinated to minimize wait time. The plurality of verticallystacked processing modules may be arranged to reduce a footprint for thesystem. At least one robotic component may be capable of accessing anyone of the vertically stacked load stations. The method may includeproviding a plurality of vertically stacked exit stations. At least onerobotic component may be capable of accessing any one of the verticallystacked exit stations. At least one robotic component may be capable ofaccessing more than one vertically stacked process module. At least onerobotic component may access more than one horizontally adjacentprocessing module.

The method may include providing at least one holding station betweentwo horizontally adjacent processing modules. The method may includeproviding one or more vertically stacked mid-entry stations. At leastone robotic component may be capable of accessing more than onevertically stacked mid-entry station. A workpiece may move through aplurality of different paths of adjacent processing modules. Theplurality of vertically stacked processing modules may include one ormore vacuum-based processing modules. The method may include providing aplurality of vertically stacked load locks disposed in proximity to atleast one of an entry point or an exit point of the semiconductormanufacturing process. The plurality of vertically stacked processingmodules may be arranged in a substantially linear configuration. Themethod may include providing one or more robotic arms that moveworkpieces among the plurality of vertically stacked processing modules.The one or more robotic arms may include at least one of a top roboticarm set and a bottom robotic arm set. At least one of the one or morerobotic arms can move vertically to access a top process module of a oneof the plurality of vertically stacked process modules and a bottomprocess module of the one of the plurality of vertically stacked processmodules. At least one of the plurality of vertically stacked processmodules may include more than two process modules in a vertical stack.

A wafer fabrication method described herein may include providing aprocessing module having an operating temperature substantially above anambient temperature; receiving a wafer for introduction into theprocessing module, the wafer having a temperature near the ambienttemperature; and heating the wafer to a temperature that is closer tothe operating temperature.

Heating the wafer may include heating the wafer in a preheating stationbefore transfer to the processing module. The method may further includecooling the wafer to a temperature that is closer to the ambienttemperature before removing the wafer from a manufacturing process thatincludes the processing module. Cooling the wafer may include coolingthe wafer to a temperature that prevents condensation on the wafer whenthe wafer is removed from the manufacturing process. The method mayinclude preheating a material handler before handling the wafer with thematerial handler. Heating the wafer may include heating the wafer to atemperature that prevents condensation on a surface of the wafer whenthe wafer is introduced into the processing module. Heating the wafermay include heating the wafer during a vacuum pump down of theprocessing module. Heating the wafer may include heating the wafer to atemperature that prevents condensation on a surface of the wafer duringan accelerated vacuum pump down of the processing module. Heating thewafer may include heating the wafer through an application of heatthrough a preheated material handler. The method may include controllinga cooling of the wafer by controlling a temperature of a materialhandler that handles the wafer.

A wafer fabrication system described herein may include a processingmodule having an operating temperature substantially above an ambienttemperature; a wafer for introduction into the processing module, thewafer having a temperature near the ambient temperature; and heatingmeans for heating the wafer to a temperature that is closer to theoperating temperature.

In another aspect, a wafer fabrication system described herein mayinclude a processing module having an operating temperaturesubstantially above an ambient temperature; and a material handler thatheats a wafer to a temperature that is closer to the operatingtemperature before introducing the wafer into the processing module.

Heating the wafer may include heating the wafer in a preheating stationbefore transfer to the processing module. The system may include acooling means for cooling the wafer to a temperature that is closer tothe ambient temperature before removing the wafer from a manufacturingprocess that includes the processing module. Cooling the wafer mayinclude cooling the wafer to a temperature that prevents condensation onthe wafer when the wafer is removed from the manufacturing process. Thematerial handler may be preheated before handling the wafer. The wafermay be heated to a temperature that prevents condensation on a surfaceof the wafer when the wafer is introduced into the processing module.The wafer may be heated during a vacuum pump down of the processingmodule. The wafer may be heated to a temperature that preventscondensation on a surface of the wafer during an accelerated vacuum pumpdown of the processing module. The wafer may be heated through anapplication of heat through a preheated material handler. Inembodiments, the wafer can be heated by a heater that heats the waferitself. This heater can be installed or contained in a load lock that isalso heated independently from the wafer heater. This way one canindependently control the load lock chamber (which primarily affectscondensation during pumpdown), and wafer preheating or post cooling. Theload lock will have a large thermal mass, and so it may only reactslowly to changes in the desired temperature. The wafer heater can becreated with a very small thermal mass, so that, for example, one couldset the heater to 300 deg C. during a pump down, and to 80 deg C. duringa vent. In embodiments the wafer may be cooled by controlling atemperature of a material handler that handles the wafer.

In another aspect, disclosed herein is a semiconductor handling methodincluding providing a load lock for delivering items to or receivingitems from a vacuum-based semiconductor handling system; and heating theload lock. The method may include heating the load lock during pumpingdown of the load lock. The load lock may be heated to about fiftydegrees C. to about 100 degrees C. The load lock may be heated tobetween ten degrees C. and about 200 degrees C.

A semiconductor handling system described herein may include a load lockfor delivering items to or receiving items from a vacuum-basedsemiconductor handling system; and a heating element for heating theload lock. The load lock may be heated during pumping down of the loadlock. The load lock may be heated to about fifty degrees C. to about 100degrees C. The load lock may be heated to between ten degrees C. andabout 200 degrees C.

In another aspect, a system described herein may include a component formaterial handling in a semiconductor manufacturing process, thecomponent having a taper that establishes a non-uniform cross-sectionthat mitigates a propagation of resonant vibrations in the component.

The component may include an end effector. The top surface of the endeffector may be flat. The bottom surface of the end effector may betapered. The end effector may be made of cast material. The taper may bedesigned into a casting for the cast material used to build the endeffector. The component may be a robotic arm. The component may be alink of a robotic arm. The system may include a plurality of taperedlinks, at least two of the links tapered in a manner to minimize athickness of the tapered links when the tapered links are overlapped.The component may include an end effector and a robotic arm, each of theend effector and the robotic arm being tapered.

In another aspect, a semiconductor handling method disclosed herein mayinclude providing an end effector for handling a semiconductor wafer;and tapering the end effector to reduce resonant vibrations of the endeffector. The method may include constructing the end effector ofaluminum silicon carbide.

In another aspect, a semiconductor handling method described herein mayinclude providing a robotic arm facility; and tapering at least one linkof the robotic arm facility to dampen vibrations of the robotic armfacility. The method may include constructing at least one link of therobotic arm from aluminum silicon carbide.

A semiconductor handling method disclosed herein may include:positioning a plurality of robotic arms and a plurality of processingmodules along an axis; and moving a workpiece among the plurality ofprocessing modules by passing the workpiece from a first one of theplurality of robotic arms to a second one of the plurality of roboticarms.

The axis may be linear. The axis may be curvilinear. The axis may form asubstantially U-shaped. The plurality of robotic arms may include aSCARA arm. The plurality of robotic arms may include a four-link SCARAarm. The plurality of robotic arms may include a three-link SCARA arm.The plurality of robotic arms may include linked pairs of robotic arms,each linked pair including two vertically disposed robotic arms.

A semiconductor handling system as disclosed herein may include: aplurality of robotic arms and a plurality of processing modules arrangedalong an axis; and passing means for moving a workpiece among theplurality of processing modules by passing the workpiece from a firstone of the plurality of robotic arms to a second one of the plurality ofrobotic arms.

A method for semiconductor handling as disclosed herein may include:providing a first robotic arm for handling a workpiece; and disposing asecond robotic arm for handling the workpiece in a positionsubstantially vertically with respect to the first robotic arm.

The method may include mechanically coupling the first robotic arm tothe second robotic arm. The method may include mechanically decouplingthe first robotic arm from the second robotic arm. At least one of thefirst robotic arm and the second robotic arm may be a SCARA arm. Atleast one of the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm may be afour-link SCARA arm. At least one of the first robotic arm and thesecond robotic arm is a three-link SCARA arm.

A semiconductor handling system describe herein may include: a firstrobotic arm for handling a workpiece, the robotic arm positioned withina processing module; and a second robotic arm for handling theworkpiece, the second robotic arm positioned within the processingmodule in a position substantially vertically with respect to the firstrobotic arm.

The first robotic arm may be mechanically coupled to the second roboticarm. The first robotic arm may be mechanically decoupled from the secondrobotic arm. At least one of the first robotic arm and the secondrobotic arm may be a SCARA arm. At least one of the first robotic armand the second robotic arm may be a four-link SCARA arm. At least one ofthe first robotic arm and the second robotic arm may be a three-linkSCARA arm.

A system disclosed herein may include: a robotic drive; an end effectorfor manipulating items; a robotic arm that connects the robotic drivemechanism to the end effector, the robotic arm including four or morelinks; one or more connectors that mechanically couple the four or morelinks to each other such that the end effector moves in a substantiallylinear direction under control of the robotic drive.

Each of the links may have a length selected to optimize areach-to-containment ratio of the robotic arm. Each of the links mayhave a length selected to avoid collision with a nearby component of thehandling system. The system may include a controller that controlsoperation of the robotic drive. The controller may be a remotecontroller. The controller may be integrated with a visualizationsoftware program. The controller may control more than one robotic arm.A link of the robotic arm proximal to the end effector may include anoffset wrist to allow the arm to fold. The robotic arm may include atleast one link having a cutout into which at least one other link canfold. At least two consecutive links of the robotic arm may be stackedwith a vertical gap so that at least one other link of the robotic armcan fold in the vertical space between the at least two consecutivelinks. The system may include at least one bypass spline between links.

A method disclosed herein may include providing a robotic drive, an endeffector for manipulating items, and a robotic arm that connects therobotic drive mechanism to the end effector, the robotic arm includingfour or more links; and interconnecting the four or more links to eachother such that the end effector moves in a substantially lineardirection under control of the robotic drive.

Each of the links may have a length selected to optimize areach-to-containment ratio of the robotic arm. Each of the links mayhave a length selected to avoid collision with a nearby component of thehandling system. The method may include controlling operation of therobotic drive with a controller. The controller may be integrated with avisualization software program. The controller may control more than onerobotic arm. A link of the robotic arm proximal to the end effector mayinclude an offset wrist to allow the arm to fold. The robotic arm mayinclude at least one link having a cutout into which at least one otherlink can fold. At least two consecutive links of the robotic arm may bestacked with a vertical gap so that at least one other link of therobotic arm can fold in the vertical space between the at least twoconsecutive links. At least two consecutive links of the robotic arm maybe stacked with a vertical gap so that the robotic arm is able to reacha predefined transfer plane without colliding with components of thehandling system. The method may include providing at least one bypassspline between links.

A system disclosed herein may include a plurality of process modules fora semiconductor fabrication process disposed about a substantiallylinear track; a cart moveably coupled to the linear track and configuredto move along the linear track; and a robotic arm disposed on the cartfor manipulating workpieces among the plurality of process modules.

The robotic arm may include a SCARA arm. The SCARA arm may include afour-link SCARA arm. The SCARA arm may include a three-link SCARA arm.

A semiconductor handling system described herein may include a vacuumprocessing system disposed in a substantially linear configurationhaving a loading end and an exit end; and a non-vacuum return system forreturning an item from the exit end to the loading end.

The non-vacuum return system may be disposed above the vacuum processingsystem. The non-vacuum return system may be disposed below the vacuumprocessing system. The non-vacuum return system may be disposed besidethe vacuum processing system. The non-vacuum return system may bedisposed within the vacuum processing system. The non-vacuum returnsystem may include a load lock at the exit end for moving the item fromthe vacuum processing system to the non-vacuum return system. Thenon-vacuum return system may include a slide mechanism and a gripper formoving the item from the exit end to the loading end.

The vacuum processing system may include a plurality of processingmodules. The vacuum processing system may include one or more roboticarms that move the item among the processing modules. The system mayinclude a plurality of robotic arms that move the item by passing theitem from a first one of the plurality of robotic arms to a second oneof the plurality of robotic arms. The plurality of robotic arms mayinclude a SCARA arm. The plurality of robotic arms may include afour-link SCARA arm. The plurality of robotic arms may include athree-link SCARA arm. The plurality of robotic arms may include at leastone pair of linked robotic arms disposed vertically with respect to eachother. The plurality of processing modules may vary in footprint by afactor of two or more. The system may include a semiconductorfabrication facility, the semiconductor fabrication facility including aplurality of linear semiconductor handling systems, the plurality oflinear semiconductor handling systems arranged side-by-side so that theloading ends of the plurality of linear semiconductor handling systemsface a corridor of the semiconductor fabrication facility.

A semiconductor manufacturing facility described herein may include atleast one tumble gripper for receiving a semiconductor wafer, the tumblegripper including a pair of gripping modules, wherein each grippingmodule is configured to receive one of a pair of parallel edges of thesemiconductor wafer, wherein each gripping module rotates upon receivinga semiconductor wafer into a position wherein a horizontal portion ofthe gripping module supports the semiconductor wafer in a horizontalplane and a vertical portion of the gripping module prevents thesemiconductor wafer from moving in the horizontal plane.

A method of handling a semiconductor wafer as described herein mayinclude providing an end effector for holding a semiconductor wafer,wherein the end effector includes a receiving slot configured to supportthe semiconductor wafer on a horizontal plane while preventing thesemiconductor wafer from moving in the horizontal plane and wherein theend effector includes a ramp configured to slide the semiconductor waferinto the receiving slot when the semiconductor wafer is placed onto theend effector.

A semiconductor handling system as described herein may include aplurality of robotic arms, at least two of the plurality of robotic armssharing a common drive facility. At least of the plurality of roboticarms may be a SCARA arm. At least one of the plurality of robotic armsis a four-link SCARA arm. At least two of the plurality of robotic armsmay operate independently, or may operate dependently.

In another aspect, a semiconductor handling system described herein mayinclude a robotic arm having a frog-leg arm configuration, the frog-legarm configuration including at least two pairs of frog leg arms.

As used herein, “robot” shall include any kind of known robot or similardevice or facility that includes a mechanical capability and a controlcapability, which may include a combination of a controller, processor,computer, or similar facility, a set of motors or similar facilities,one or more resolvers, encoders or similar facilities, one or moremechanical or operational facilities, such as arms, wheels, legs, links,claws, extenders, grips, nozzles, sprayers, effectors, actuators, andthe like, as well as any combination of any of the above. One embodimentis a robotic arm.

As used herein “drive” shall include any form of drive mechanism orfacility for inducing motion. In embodiments it includes themotor/encoder section of a robot.

As used herein, “axis” shall include a motor or drive connectedmechanically through linkages, belts or similar facilities, to amechanical member, such as arm member. An “N-axis drive” shall include adrive containing N axes; for example a “2-axis drive” is a drivecontaining two axes.

As used herein, “arm” shall include a passive or active (meaningcontaining motors/encoders) linkage that may include one or more arm orleg members, bearings, and one or more end effectors for holding orgripping material to be handled.

As used herein, “SCARA arm” shall mean a Selectively Compliant AssemblyRobot Arm (SCARA) robotic arm in one or more forms known to those ofskill in the art, including an arm consisting of one or more upper linksconnected to a drive, one or more lower links connected through a beltor mechanism to a motor that is part of the drive, and one or more endunits, such as an end effector or actuator.

As used herein, “turn radius” shall mean the radius that an arm fits inwhen it is fully retracted.

As used herein, “reach” shall include, with respect to a robotic arm,the maximum reach that is obtained when an arm is fully extended.Usually the mechanical limit is a little further out than the actualeffective reach, because it is easier to control an arm that is notcompletely fully extended (in embodiments there is a left/rightsingularity at full extension that can be hard to control).

As used herein, “containment” shall mean situations when the arm isoptimally retracted such that an imaginary circle can be drawn aroundthe arm/end effector/material that is of minimum radius.

As used herein, the “reach-to-containment ratio” shall mean, withrespect to a robotic arm, the ratio of maximum reach to minimumcontainment.

As used herein, “robot-to-robot” distance shall include the horizontaldistance between the mechanical central axis of rotation of twodifferent robot drives.

As used herein, “slot valve” shall include a rectangular shaped valvethat opens and closes to allow a robot arm to pass through (as opposedto a vacuum (isolation) valve, which controls the pump down of a vacuumchamber). For example, the SEMI E21.1-1296 standard (a publishedstandard for semiconductor manufacturing) the slot valve for 300 mmwafers in certain semiconductor manufacturing process modules has anopening width of 336 mm, a opening height of 50 mm and a total valvethickness of 60 mm with the standard also specifying the mounting boltsand alignment pins.

As used herein, “transfer plane” shall include the plane (elevation) atwhich material is passed from a robot chamber to a process modulechamber through a slot valve. Per the SEMI E21.1-1296 standard forsemiconductor manufacturing equipment the transfer plane is 14 mm abovethe slot valve centerline.

As used herein, “section” shall include a vacuum chamber that has one ormore robotic drives in it. This is the smallest repeatable element in alinear system.

As used herein, “link” shall include a mechanical member of a robot arm,connected on both ends to another link, an end effector, or the robotdrive.

As used herein, “L1,” “L2”, “L3” or the like shall include the numberingof the arm links starting from the drive to the end effector.

As used herein, “end effector” shall include an element at an active endof a robotic arm distal from the robotic drive and proximal to an itemon which the robotic arm will act. The end effector may be a hand of therobot that passively or actively holds the material to be transported ina semiconductor process or some other actuator disposed on the end ofthe robotic arm.

As used herein, the term “SCARA arm” refers to a robotic arm thatincludes one or more links and may include an end effector, where thearm, under control, can move linearly, such as to engage an object. ASCARA arm may have various numbers of links, such as 3, 4, or more. Asused herein, “3-link SCARA arm” shall include a SCARA robotic arm thathas three members: link one (L1), link two (L2) and an end effector. Adrive for a 3-link SCARA arm usually has 3 motors: one connected to L1,one to the belt system, which in turn connects to the end effectorthrough pulleys and a Z (lift) motor. One can connect a fourth motor tothe end effector, which allows for some unusual moves not possible withonly three motors.

As used herein, “dual SCARA arm” shall include a combination of twoSCARA arms (such as two 3 or 4-link SCARA arms (typically designated Aand B)) optionally connected to a common drive. In embodiments the twoSCARA arms are either completely independent or share a common linkmember L1. A drive for a dual independent SCARA arm usually has eitherfive motors: one connected to L1-A, one connected to L1-B, one connectedto the belt system of arm A, one connected to the belt system of arm B,and a common Z (lift) motor. A drive for a dual dependent SCARA armusually has a common share L1 link for both arms A and B and containstypically four motors: one connected to the common link L1, oneconnected to the belt system for arm A, one connected to the belt systemfor arm B, and a common Z (lift) motor.

As used herein, “4-link SCARA arm” shall include an arm that has fourmembers: L1, L2, L3 and an end effector. A drive for a 4-link SCARA armcan have four motors: one connected to L1, one to the belt systemsconnected to L2 and L3, one to the end effector and a Z motor. Inembodiments only 3 motors are needed: one connected to L1, one connectedto the belt system that connects to L2, L3 and the end effector, and a Zmotor.

As used herein, “Frog-leg style arm” shall include an arm that has fivemembers: L1A, L1B, L2A, L3B and an end effector. A drive for a frog-legarm can have three motors, one connected to L1A—which is mechanically bymeans of gearing or the like connected to L1B—, one connected to aturret that rotates the entire arm assembly, and a Z motor. Inembodiments the drive contains three motors, one connected to L1A, oneconnected to L1B and a Z motor and achieves the desired motion throughcoordination between the motors.

As used herein, “Dual Frog-leg style arm” shall include an arm that haseight members L1A, L1B, L2A-1, L2A-2, L2B-1, L2B-2 and two endeffectors. The second link members L2A-1 and L2B-1 form a singleFrog-leg style arm, whereas the second link members L2A-2 and L2B-2 alsoform a single Frog-leg style arm, however facing in an oppositedirection. A drive for a dual frog arm may be the same as for a singlefrog arm.

As used herein, “Leap Frog-leg style arm” shall include an arm that haseight members L1A, L1B, L2A-1, L2A-2, L2B-1, L2B-2 and two endeffectors. The first link members L1A and L1B are each connected to oneof the motors substantially by their centers, rather than by theirdistal ends. The second link members L2A-1 and L2B-1 form a singleFrog-leg style arm, whereas the second link members L2A-2 and L2B-2 alsoform a single Frog-leg style arm, however facing in the same direction.A drive for a dual frog arm may be the same as for a single frog arm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows equipment architectures for a variety of manufacturingequipment types.

FIG. 2 shows a conventional, cluster-type architecture for handlingitems in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a series of cluster-type systems for accommodatingbetween two and six process modules.

FIG. 4 shows high-level components of a linear processing architecturefor handling items in a manufacturing process.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a linear processing system, such as one withan architecture similar to that of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show a 3-link SCARA arm and a 4-link SCARA arm.

FIG. 7 shows reach and containment characteristics of a SCARA arm.

FIG. 8 shows high-level components for a robot system.

FIG. 9 shows components of a dual-arm architecture for a robotic armsystem for use in a handling system.

FIG. 10 shows reach and containment capabilities of a 4-link SCARA arm.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show interference characteristics of a 4-link SCARAarm.

FIG. 12 shows a side view of a dual-arm set of 4-link SCARA arms usingbelts as the transmission mechanism.

FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C show a side view of a dual-arm set of 4-linkSCARA arms using a spline link as the transmission mechanism.

FIG. 14 shows an external return system for a handling system having alinear architecture.

FIG. 14 a shows a U-shaped configuration for a linear handling system.

FIG. 15 shows certain details of an external return system for ahandling system of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 shows additional details of an external return system for ahandling system of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 shows movement of the output carrier in the return system ofFIG. 14.

FIG. 18 shows handling of an empty carrier in the return system of FIG.14.

FIG. 19 shows movement of the empty carrier in the return system of FIG.14 into a load lock position.

FIG. 20 shows the empty carrier lowered and evacuated and movement ofthe gripper in the return system of FIG. 14.

FIG. 21 shows an empty carrier receiving material as a full carrier isbeing emptied in the return system of FIG. 14.

FIG. 22 shows an empty carrier brought to a holding position, starting anew return cycle in the return system of FIG. 14.

FIG. 23 shows an architecture for a handling facility for amanufacturing process, with a dual-arm robotic arm system and a returnsystem in a linear architecture.

FIG. 24 shows an alternative embodiment of an overall systemarchitecture for a handling method and system of the present invention.

FIGS. 25A and 25B show a comparison of the footprint of a linear systemas compared to a conventional cluster system.

FIG. 26 shows a linear architecture deployed with oversized processmodules in a handling system in accordance with embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 27 shows a rear-exit architecture for a handling system inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 28A and 28B show a variety of layout possibilities for afabrication facility employing linear handling systems in accordancewith various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 29 shows an embodiment of the invention wherein a robot may includemultiple drives and/or multiple controllers.

FIG. 30 shows transfer plane and slot valve characteristics relevant toembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 31 shows a tumble gripper for centering wafers.

FIG. 32 shows a passive sliding ramp for centering wafers.

FIG. 33 illustrates a fabrication facility including a mid-entryfacility.

FIGS. 34A, 34B, and 34C illustrate a fabrication facility including amid-entry facility from a top view.

FIG. 35 illustrates a fabrication facility including the placement ofoptical sensors for detection of robotic arm position and materials inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 36A, 36B, and 36C illustrate a fabrication facility in across-sectional side view showing optical beam paths and alternativesbeam paths.

FIGS. 37A and 37B illustrate how optical sensors can be used todetermine the center of the material handled by a robotic arm.

FIG. 38 shows a conventional 3-axis robotic vacuum drive architecture

FIG. 39 shows a novel 3-axis robotic vacuum drive architecture inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 40A illustrates a vertically arranged load lock assembly inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 40B illustrates a vertically arranged load lock assembly at bothsides of a wafer fabrication facility in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention.

FIG. 41 shows a vertically arranged load lock and vertically stackedprocess modules in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 42 shows a linearly arranged, two-level handling architecture withvertically stacked process modules in a cross-sectional side view inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 43 shows the handling layout of FIG. 42 in a top view.

FIG. 44 shows an instrumented object on a robotic arm with sensors todetect proximity of the object to a target, in accordance withembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 45 illustrates how the movement of sensors over a target can allowthe robotic arm to detect its position relative to the obstacle.

FIG. 46 shows how an instrumented object can use radio frequencycommunications in a vacuum environment to communicate position to acentral controller.

FIG. 47 illustrates the output of a series of sensors as a function ofposition.

FIG. 48 illustrates how heating elements can be placed in a load lockfor thermal treatment of objects in accordance with embodiments of theinvention.

FIGS. 49A and 49B show an end effector tapered in two dimensions, whichreduces active vibration modes in the end effector.

FIGS. 50A and 50B show how vertical tapering of robotic arm elements fora robot planar arm can be used to reduce vibration in the arm set,without significantly affecting vertical stacking height.

FIGS. 51A and 51B illustrates a dual independent SCARA robotic arm.

FIGS. 52A and 52B illustrate a dual dependent SCARA robotic arm.

FIGS. 53A and 53B illustrate a frog-leg style robotic arm.

FIGS. 54A and 54B illustrate a dual Frog-leg style robotic arm.

FIG. 55A illustrates a 4-Link SCARA arm mounted on a moveable cart, aswell as a 4-Link SCARA arm mounted on an inverted moveable cart.

FIG. 55B illustrates a top view of FIG. 55A.

FIG. 56 illustrates using a 3-Link single or dual SCARA arm roboticsystem to pass wafers along a substantially a linear axis.

FIG. 57 illustrates a 2-level vacuum handling robotic system where thetop and bottom process modules are accessible by means of a verticalaxis in the robotic arms.

FIG. 58A shows a two level processing facility where substrates arepassed along a substantially linear axis on one of the two levels.

FIG. 58B illustrates a variation of FIG. 58 a where substrates areremoved from the rear of the system.

FIG. 59A shows a manufacturing facility which accommodates very largeprocessing modules in a substantially linear axis. Service space is madeavailable to allow for access to the interior of the process modules.

FIG. 59B illustrates a more compact layout for 4 large process modulesand one small process module.

FIGS. 60A and 60B illustrate a dual Frog-Leg style robotic manipulatorwith substrates on the same side of the system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows equipment architectures 1000 for a variety of manufacturingequipment types. Each type of manufacturing equipment handles items,such as semiconductor wafers, between various processes, such aschemical vapor deposition processes, etching processes, and the like. Assemiconductor manufacturing processes are typically extremely sensitiveto contaminants, such as particulates and volatile organic compounds,the processes typically take place in a vacuum environment, in one ormore process modules that are devoted to specific processes.Semiconductor wafers are moved by a handling system among the variousprocesses to produce the end product, such as a chip. Variousconfigurations 1000 exist for handling systems. A prevalent system is acluster tool 1002, where process modules are positioned radially arounda central handling system, such as a robotic arm. In other embodiments,a handling system can rotate items horizontally, such as in theembodiment 1004. An important aspect of each type of tool is the“footprint,” or the area that the equipment takes up in thesemiconductor manufacturing facility. The larger the footprint, the morespace required to accommodate multiple machines in a fabricationfacility. Also, larger footprints typically are associated with a needfor larger vacuum systems, which increase greatly in cost as theyincrease in size.

The architecture 1004 rotates items in a “lazy susan” facility. Thearchitecture in 1006 moves items in and out of a process module wherethe process modules are arranged next to each other. The architecture1008 positions process modules in a cluster similar to 1002, with thedifference that the central robot handles two wafers side by side. Eachof these systems shares many of the challenges of cluster tools,including significant swap time delays as one wafer is moved in andanother out of a given process module, as well as considerabledifficulty maintaining the cleanliness of the vacuum environment of agiven process module, as more and more wafers are moved through thesystem.

FIG. 2 shows a conventional cluster-type architecture 2000 for handlingitems in a semiconductor manufacturing process. A robotic arm 2004 movesitems, such as wafers, among various process modules 2002 that arepositioned in a cluster around the robotic arm 2004. An atmosphericsubstrate handling mini-environment chamber 2008 receives materials forhandling by the equipment and holds materials once processing iscomplete. Note how difficult it would be to add more process modules2002. While one more module 2002 would potentially fit, the practicalconfiguration is limited to five process modules 2002. Adding a sixthmodule may significantly impact the serviceability of the equipment, inparticular the robotic arm 2004.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show cluster tool modules, atmospheric mini-environmenthandling chambers, vacuum handling chambers and other components 3000from a flexible architecture system for a vacuum based manufacturingprocess. Different modules can be assembled together to facilitatemanufacturing of a desired process technology. For example, a given chipmay require chemical vapor deposition of different chemical constituents(e.g., Titanium Nitride, Tungsten, etc.) in different process modules,as well as etching in other process modules. The sequence of theprocesses in the different process modules produces a unique endproduct. Given the increasing complexity of semiconductor components, itis often desirable to have a flexible architecture that allows themanufacturer to add more process modules. However, the cluster toolsdescribed above are space-limited; therefore, it may be impossible toadd more process modules, meaning that in order to complete a morecomplex semiconductor wafer it may be necessary to move manufacturing toa second cluster tool. As seen in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, cluster tools caninclude configurations with two 3002, three 3004, four 3006, five 3008,3010 or six 3012 process modules with staged vacuum isolation. Othercomponents can be supplied in connection with the equipment.

FIG. 4 shows high-level components of a linear processing architecture4000 for handling items in a manufacturing process. The architectureuses two or more stationary robots 4002 arranged in a linear fashion.The robots 4002 can be either mounted in the bottom of the system orhang down from the chamber lid or both at the same time. The linearsystem uses a vacuum chamber 4012 around the robot. The system could becomprised of multiple connected vacuum chambers 4012, each with a vacuumchamber 4012 containing its own robot arranged in a linear fashion. Inembodiments, a single controller could be set up to handle one or moresections of the architecture. In embodiments vacuum chambers 4012sections are extensible; that is, a manufacturer can easily addadditional sections/chambers 4012 and thus add process capacity, muchmore easily than with cluster architectures. Because each section usesindependent robot drives 4004 and arms 4002, the throughput may stayhigh when additional sections and thus robots are added. By contrast, incluster tools, when the manufacturer adds process chambers 2002, thesystem increases the load for the single robot, even if that robot isequipped with a dual arm, eventually the speed of the robot can becomethe limiting factor. In embodiments, systems address this problem byadding additional robot arms 4002 into a single drive. Othermanufacturers have used a 4-axis robot with two completely independentarms such as a dual SCARA or dual Frog-leg robots. The linear systemdisclosed herein may not be limited by robot capacity, since eachsection 4012 contains a robot, so each section 4012 is able to transporta much larger volume of material than with cluster tools.

In general, a number of handling devices such as those described abovemay be configured to have similar or identical throughput capacitiesusing the techniques disclosed herein. This may improve efficiency for amanufacturing facility using such handling devices by balancingthroughput of various stations throughout a manufacturing facility, oracross groups of extensible tools in a processing line. Thus, in oneembodiment there is disclosed herein a method for balancing throughputfor a number of extensible or linkable semiconductor handling devices ina semiconductor processing facility by allocating robotics and processchambers across the devices to establish substantially similarprocessing times for each device. Load balancing among processes in afabrication facility or other manufacturing facility can yield a numberof processing advantages such as reducing or eliminating wait timebetween processes, reducing inventory, avoiding backlogs, and so forth.These advantages can be realized in a semiconductor manufacturingfacility using the extensible, linkable devices disclosed herein.

Still more generally, the extensible systems may be configured to meet avariety of constraints for throughput, size, and so forth, and may bereconfigured according to changing manufacturing demands.

In embodiments the components of the system can be controlled by asoftware controller, which in embodiments may be a central controllerthat controls each of the components. In embodiments the components forma linkable handling system under control of the software, where thesoftware controls each robot to hand off a material to another robot, orinto a buffer for picking up by the next robot. In embodiments thesoftware control system may recognize the addition of a new component,such as a process module or robot, when that component is plugged intothe system, such as recognizing the component over a network, such as aUSB, Ethernet, FireWire, Bluetooth, 802.11a, 802.11a, 802.11g or othernetwork. In such embodiments, as soon as the next robot, process module,or other component is plugged in a software scheduler for the flow of amaterial to be handled, such as a wafer, can be reconfiguredautomatically so that the materials can be routed over the new link inthe system. In embodiments the software scheduler is based on a neuralnet, or it can be a rule-based scheduler. In embodiments process modulescan make themselves known over such a network, so that the softwarecontroller knows what new process modules, robots, or other componentshave been connected. When a new process module is plugged into an emptyfacet, the system can recognize it and allow it to be scheduled into theflow of material handling.

In embodiments the software system may include an interface that permitsthe user to run a simulation of the system. The interface may allow auser to view the linking and configuration of various links, roboticarms and other components, to optimize configuration (such as by movingthe flow of materials through various components, moving processmodules, moving robots, or the like), and to determine whatconfiguration to purchase from a supplier. In embodiments the interfacemay be a web interface.

The methods and system disclosed herein can use optional buffer stations4010 between robot drives. Robots could hand off to each other directly,but that is technically more difficult to optimize, and would occupy tworobots, because they would both have to be available at the same time todo a handoff, which is more restrictive than if they can deposit to adummy location 4010 in-between them where the other robot can pick upwhen it is ready. The buffer 4010 also allows higher throughput, becausethe system does not have to wait for both robots to become available.Furthermore, the buffers 4010 may also offer a good opportunity toperform some small processing steps on the wafer such as heating,cooling, aligning, inspection, metrology, testing or cleaning.

In embodiments, the methods and systems disclosed herein use optionalvacuum isolation valves 4006 between robot areas/segments 4012. Eachsegment 4012 can be fully isolated from any other segment 4012. If arobot handles ultra clean and sensitive materials (e.g., wafers) in itssegment 4012, then isolating that segment 4012 from the rest of thesystem may prevent cross-contamination from the dirtier segment 4012 tothe clean segment 4012. Also the manufacturer can now operate segments4012 at different pressures. The manufacturer can have stepped vacuumlevels where the vacuum gets better and better further into the machine.An advantage of using vacuum isolation valves 4006 between segments 4012may be that handling of atomically clean wafers (created after cleaningsteps and needing to be transported between process modules withoutcontamination from the environment) can be done without out-gassing frommaterials or wafers in other parts of the system entering the isolatedchamber segment 4012.

In embodiments, vacuum isolation between robots is possible, as ismaterial buffering between robots, such as using a buffer module 4010, amini-process module or an inspection module 4010.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a linear processing system 4000, such as onewith a linear architecture similar to that of FIG. 4.

Different forms of robots can be used in semiconductor manufacturingequipment, whether a cluster tool or a linear processing machine such asdisclosed in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 6 shows a 3-link SCARA arm 6002 and a 4-link SCARA arm 6004. The3-link or 4-link arms 6002, 6004 are driven by a robot drive. The 3-linkarm 6002 is commonly used in industry. When the 3-link SCARA arm 6002 isused, the system is not optimized in that the reach-to-containment ratiois not very good. Thus, the vacuum chambers need to be bigger, and sincecosts rise dramatically with the size of the vacuum chamber, having a3-link SCARA arm 6002 can increase the cost of the system. Also theoverall footprint of the system becomes bigger with the 3-link SCARA arm6002. Moreover, the reach of a 3-link SCARA arm 6002 is less than thatof a 4-link arm 6004. In some cases a manufacturer may wish to achieve alarge, deep handoff into a process module, and the 4-link arm 6004reaches much farther beyond its containment ratio. This has advantagesin some non-SEMI-standard process modules. It also has advantages when amanufacturer wants to cover large distances between segments.

The 4-link arm 6004 is advantageous in that it folds in a much smallercontainment ratio than a 3-link SCARA arm 6002, but it reaches a lotfurther than a conventional 3-link SCARA 6002 for the same containmentdiameter. In combination with the ability to have a second drive andsecond 4-link arm 6004 mounted on the top of the system, it may allowfor a fast material swap in the process module. The 4-link SCARA arm6004 may be mounted, for example, on top of a stationary drive asillustrated, or on top of a moving cart that provides the transmissionof the rotary motion to actuate the arms and belts. In either case, the4-link arm 6004, optionally together with a second 4-link arm 6004, mayprovide a compact, long-reach arm that can go through a small opening,without colliding with the edges of the opening.

FIG. 7 shows reach and containment characteristics of a 4-link SCARA arm7004. In embodiments, the 4-link SCARA arm 7004 link lengths are notconstrained by the optimization of reach to containment ratio as in someother systems. Optimization of the reach to containment ratio may leadto a second arm member that is too long. When the arm reaches through aslot valve that is placed as close as practical to the minimumcontainment diameter, this second arm member may collide with the insideedges of the slot valve. Thus the second (and third) links may bedimensioned based on collision avoidance with a slot valve that the armis designed to reach through. This results in very different ratiosbetween L1, L2 and L3. The length of L2 may constrain the length of L3.An equation for optimum arm length may be a 4th power equation amenableto iterative solutions.

FIG. 8 shows high-level components for a robot system 8002, including acontroller 8004, a drive/motor 8008, an arm 8010, an end effector 8012,and a material to be handled 8014.

FIG. 9 shows components of a dual-arm 9002 architecture for a roboticarm system for use in a handling system. One arm is mounted from thebottom 9004 and the other from the top 9008. In embodiments both are4-link SCARA arms. Mounting the second arm on the top is advantageous.In some other systems arms have been connected to a drive that ismounted through the top of the chamber, but the lower and upper drivesare conventionally mechanically coupled. In embodiments, there is nomechanical connection between the two drives in the linear systemdisclosed in connection with FIG. 4 and FIG. 5; instead, thecoordination of the two arms (to prevent collisions) may be done in asoftware system or controller. The second (top) arm 9008 may optionallybe included only if necessary for throughput reasons.

Another feature is that only two motors, just like a conventional SCARAarm, may be needed to drive the 4-link arm. Belts in the arm maymaintain parallelism. Parallelism or other coordinated movements mayalso be achieved, for example, using parallel bars instead of belts.Generally, the use of only two motors may provide a substantial costadvantage. At the same time, three motors may provide a functionaladvantage in that the last (L4) link may be independently steered,however the additional belts, bearings, connections, shafts and motormay render the system much more expensive. In addition the extra beltsmay add significant thickness to the arm mechanism, making it difficultto pass the arm through a (SEMI standard) slot valve. Also, the use offewer motors generally simplifies related control software.

Another feature of the 4-link SCARA arm disclosed herein is that thewrist may be offset from centerline. Since the ideal system has atop-mount 9008 as well as a bottom 9004 mount 4-link arm, the verticalarrangement of the arm members may be difficult to adhere to if themanufacturer also must comply with the SEMI standards. In a nutshell,these standards specify the size and reach requirements through a slotvalve 4006 into a process module. They also specify the level abovecenterline on which a wafer has to be carried. Many existing processmodules are compliant with this standard. In systems that arenon-compliant, the slot valves 4006 are of very similar shape althoughthe opening size might be slightly different as well as the definitionof the transfer plane. The SEMI standard dimensional restrictionsrequire a very compact packaging of the arms. Using an offset wristallows the top 9008 and bottom 9004 arms to get closer together, makingit easier for them to pass through the slot valve 4006. If the wrist isnot offset, then the arms need to stay further apart vertically andwafer exchanges may take more time, because the drives need to move morein the vertical direction. The proposed design of the top arm does notrequire that there is a wrist offset, but a wrist offset mayadvantageously reduce the turn radius of the system, and allows for abetter mechanical arm layout, so no interferences occur.

FIG. 10 shows reach and containment capabilities of a 4-link SCARA arm6004.

FIG. 11 shows interference characteristics 1102 of a 4-link SCARA arm6004. The wrist offset may help to fold the arm in a smaller space thanwould otherwise be possible.

FIG. 12 shows a side view of a dual-arm set of 4-link SCARA arms 6004.Because of the packaging constraints of particularly the top arm, it maybe necessary to construct an arm that has some unique features. Inembodiments, one link upon retracting partially enters a cutout inanother arm link. Belts can be set in duplicate, rather than a singlebelt, so that one belt is above 12004 and one below 12008 the cutout.One solution, which is independent of the fact that this is a 4-linkarm, is to make L2 significantly lower 12002, with a vertical gap to L1,so that L3 and L4 can fold inside. Lowering L2 12002 may allow L3 and L4to reach the correct transfer plane and may allow a better containmentratio. Because of the transfer plane definition, the lowering of L212002 may be required.

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment in which a combination of belts and linkagesis used. The transmission of motion through L1 13002 and L3 13006 may beaccomplished by either a single belt or a dual belt arrangement. Incontrast, the motion transmission in L2 13004 may be accomplished by amechanical linkage (spline) 13010. The advantage of such an arrangementmay be that enclosed joints can be used which reduces the verticaldimension of the arm assembly that may allow an arm to more easily passthrough a SEMI standard slot valve.

FIG. 14 shows an external return system for a handling system having alinear architecture 14000. The return mechanism is optionally on the topof the linear vacuum chamber. On conventional vacuum handling systems,the return path is often through the same area as the entry path. Thisopens up the possibility of cross contamination, which occurs when cleanwafers that are moving between process steps get contaminated byresiduals entering the system from dirty wafers that are not yetcleaned. It also makes it necessary for the robot 4002 to handlematerials going in as well as materials going out, and it makes itharder to control the vacuum environment. By exiting the vacuum systemat the rear and moving the wafers on the top back to the front in an airtunnel 14012, there are some significant advantages: the air return mayrelatively cheap to implement; the air return may free up the vacuumrobots 4002 because they do not have to handle materials going out; andthe air return may keep clean finished materials out of the incomingareas, thereby lowering cross-contamination risks. Employing a smallload lock 14010 in the rear may add some costs, and so may the airtunnel 14012, so in systems that are short and where vacuum levels andcross contamination are not so important, an air return may have lessvalue, but in long systems with many integrated process steps theabove-system air return could have significant benefits. The returnsystem could also be a vacuum return, but that would be more expensiveand more complicated to implement. It should be understood that while insome embodiments a load lock 14010 may be positioned at the end of alinear system, as depicted in FIG. 14, the load lock 14010 could bepositioned elsewhere, such as in the middle of the system. In such anembodiment, a manufacturing item could enter or exit the system at suchanother point in the system, such as to exit the system into the airreturn.

An advantage of a mid-system exit point may be that in case of a partialsystem failure, materials or wafers can be recovered. An advantage of amid-system entry point (or exit point) may be that wafers can beinserted in multiple places in the system, allowing for a significantlymore flexible process flow. In effect a mid-system entry or exitposition behaves like two machines connected together by the mid-systemposition, effectively eliminating an EFEM position. As a furtheradvantage, the capability for mid-point entry and exit expandspossibilities for varying processing. Thus a workpiece such as a wafermay be processed sequentially through a subset of processing modules, orwithin a single module, or non-sequentially in a number of non-adjacentprocessing modules using the various transport mechanisms describedherein to transfer the workpiece from module to module within a vacuumor other closed environment. In addition, a number of workpieces may beprocessed in parallel, in the same sequence, or in different sequencesalong any non-blocking paths within the environment using the variousrobotics and mid-entry loading techniques described herein. Moregenerally, a device providing one or more mid-system entry and/or exitpoints may be operated to concurrently process two or more workpieceswith the same or different processing steps, thus providing significantimprovements in flexibility and throughput. Such multi-workpieceprocessing configurations may provide further flexibility using, forexample, the buffer stations, isolation valves, and other systemsdescribed herein.

It should also be understood that while the embodiment of FIG. 14 andsubsequent figures is a straight line system, the linear system could becurvilinear; that is, the system could have curves, a U- or V-shape, anS-shape, or a combination of those or any other curvilinear path, inwhatever format the manufacturer desires, such as to fit theconfiguration of a fabrication facility. In each case the systemoptionally includes an entry point and an exit point that is down theline (although optionally not a straight line) from the entry point.Optionally the air return returns the item from the exit point to theentry point. Optionally the system can include more than one exit point.In each case the robotic arms described herein can assist in efficientlymoving items down the line, without the problems of other linearsystems. FIG. 14A shows an example of a U-shaped linear system.

Referring still to FIG. 14, an embodiment of the system uses a dualcarrier mechanism 14008 so that wafers that are finished can quickly bereturned to the front of the system, but also so that an empty carrier14008 can be placed where a full one was just removed. In embodimentsthe air return will feature a carrier 14008 containing N wafers. N canbe optimized depending on the throughput and cost requirements. Inembodiments the air return mechanism may contain empty carriers 14008 sothat when a full carrier 14018 is removed from the vacuum load lock14010, a new empty carrier 14008 can immediately be placed and load lock14010 can evacuated to receive more materials. In embodiments the airreturn mechanism may be able to move wafers to the front of the system.At the drop-off point a vertical lift 14004 may be employed to lower thecarrier to a level where the EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) robot canreach. At the load lock point(s) the vertical lift 14004 can lower topick an empty carrier 14008 from the load lock.

In embodiments the air return mechanism may feature a storage area 14014for empty carriers 14008, probably located at the very end and behindthe location of the load lock 14010. The reason for this is that whenthe load lock 14010 releases a carrier 14018, the gripper 14004 can gripthe carrier 14018 and move it forward slightly. The gripper 14004 canthen release the full carrier 14018, move all the way back and retrievean empty carrier 14008, place it on the load lock 14010. At this pointthe load lock 14010 can evacuate. The gripper 14004 can now go back tothe full carrier 14018 and move it all the way to the front of thesystem. Once the carrier 14018 has been emptied by the EFEM, it can bereturned to the very back where it waits for the next cycle.

It is also possible to put the lift in the load lock rather than usingthe vertical motion in the gripper, but that would be more costly. Itwould also be slightly less flexible. A manufacturer may want a verticalmovement of the carrier 14018 in a few places, and putting it in thegripper 14004 would be more economical because the manufacturer thenonly needs one vertical mechanism.

FIG. 15 shows certain additional details of an external return systemfor a handling system of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 shows additional details of an external return system for ahandling system of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 shows movement of the output carrier 14018 in the return tunnel14012 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 18 shows handling of an empty carrier 14008 in the return system14012 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 19 shows movement of the empty carrier 14008 in the return tunnel14012 of FIG. 14 into a load lock 14010 position.

FIG. 20 shows the empty carrier 14008 lowered and evacuated and movementof the gripper 14004 in the return system of FIG. 14.

FIG. 21 shows an empty carrier 14008 receiving material as a fullcarrier 14018 is being emptied in the return tunnel 14012 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 22 shows an empty carrier 14008 brought to a holding position,starting a new return cycle in the return tunnel 14012 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 23 shows an architecture for a handling facility for amanufacturing process, with a dual-arm robotic arm system 23002 and areturn system in a linear architecture.

FIG. 24 shows an alternative embodiment of an overall systemarchitecture for a handling method and system of the present invention.

FIG. 25 shows a comparison of the footprint of a linear system 25002 ascompared to a conventional cluster system 25004. Note that with thelinear system 25002 the manufacturer can easily extend the machine withadditional modules without affecting system throughput. For example, asshown in FIG. 25A, for the vacuum section only, W=2*750+2*60+44=2060.Similarly, D=350*2+440*1.5+3*60+745/2=1913, and A=3.94 m² With respectto FIG. 25B, for the vacuum section only, W=2*750+2*60+1000=2620.Similarly, D=920+cos(30)*(500+60+750)+sin (30)*745/2=2174; accordingly,A=6.9 m², which is 45% bigger.

FIG. 26 shows a linear architecture deployed with oversized processmodules 26002 in a handling system in accordance with embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 27 shows a rear-exit architecture for a handling system inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 28 shows a variety of layout possibilities for a fabricationfacility employing linear handling systems in accordance with variousembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 29 shows an embodiment of the invention wherein a robot 29002 mayinclude multiple drives 29004 and/or multiple controllers 29008. Inembodiments a controller 29008 may control multiple drives 29004 as wellas other peripheral devices such as slot valves, vacuum gauges, thus arobot 29002 may be a controller 29008 with multiple drives 29004 ormultiple controllers 29008 with multiple drives 29004.

FIG. 30 shows transfer plane 30002 and slot valve 30004 characteristicsrelevant to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 31 shows a tumble gripper 31002 for centering wafers. The advantageof the tumble gripper 31002 over the passive centering gripper 32002 inFIG. 32 is that there is less relative motion between the tumblers 31004and the back-side of the wafer 31008. The tumblers 31004 may gentlynudge the wafer 31008 to be centered on the end effector, supporting iton both sides as it moves down. In certain manufacturing processes itmay be desirable to center wafers 31008, such as in a vacuumenvironment. The tumble gripper 31004 may allow the handling of veryfragile wafers 31008, such as when employing an end effector at the endof a robotic arm, because it supports both ends of the wafer duringhandling.

FIG. 32 shows a passively centering end effector 32002 for holdingwafers 31008. The wafer 31008 is typically slightly off-center when theend effector lifts (or the wafer 31008 is lowered). This results in thewafer 31008 sliding down the ramp and dropping into the cutout 32004.This can result in the wafer 31008 abruptly falling or moving, which inturn can create particles.

The methods and systems disclosed herein offer many advantages in thehandling of materials or items during manufacturing processes. Amongother things, vacuum isolation between robots may be possible, as wellas material buffering between robots. A manufacturer can return finishedwafers over the top of the system without going through vacuum, whichcan be a very substantial advantage, requiring only half the necessaryhandling steps, eliminating cross contamination between finished andunfinished materials and remaining compatible with existing clean roomdesigns. When a manufacturer has relatively dirty wafers entering thesystem, the manufacturer may want to isolate them from the rest of themachine while they are being cleaned, which is usually the first step inthe process. It may be advantageous to keep finished or partiallyfinished materials away from the cleaning portion of the machine.

Other advantages may be provided by the methods and systems disclosedherein. The dual arms (top mounted and bottom mounted) may work incoordinated fashion, allowing very fast material exchanges. Regardlessof the exact arm design (3-link, 4-link or other), mounting an arm inthe lid that is not mechanically connected to the arm in the bottom canbe advantageous. The link lengths of the 4-link SCARA arm providedherein can be quite advantageous, as unlike conventional arms they aredetermined by the mechanical limits of slot valves and chamber radius.The 4-link SCARA arms disclosed herein are also advantageous in thatthey can use two motors for the links, along with a Z motor, rather thanthree motors plus the Z motor.

A linear vacuum system where materials exit in the rear may offersubstantial benefits. Another implementation may be to have both theentry system and exit system installed through two opposing walls.

The 4-link SCARA arm disclosed herein may also allow link L3 to swinginto and over link L2 for the top robot drive. This may not be easilydone with the 3-link SCARA, nor with existing versions of 4-link SCARAarms, because they have the wrong link lengths.

The gripper for carriers and the multiple carrier locations in thelinear system may also offer substantial benefits in materials handlingin a linear manufacturing architecture. Including vertical movement inthe gripper and/or in the rear load lock may offer benefits as well.

While the invention has been described in connection with certainpreferred embodiments, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognizeother embodiments that are encompassed herein.

FIG. 33 illustrates a fabrication facility including a mid-entry point33022. In an embodiment, the fabrication facility may include a loadlock mid-stream 33002 where wafers 31008 can be taken out or entered.There can be significant advantages to such a system, includingproviding a processing facility that provides dual processingcapabilities (e.g. connecting two machines behind each other, but onlyneed to use one EFEM). In an embodiment, the air return system 14012 canalso take new wafers 31008 to the midpoint 33022 and enter wafers 31008there.

FIG. 34 illustrates several top views of a fabrication facility withmid-entry points 33002. The figure also illustrates how the combinationof a mid-entry point effectively functions to eliminate one of the EFEMs34002.

FIG. 35 illustrates a fabrication facility including a series of sensors35002. In many fabrication facilities such sensors 35002 are commonlyused to detect whether a material 35014 is still present on a roboticarm 35018. Such sensors 35002 may be commonly placed at each vacuumchamber 4012 entry and exit point. Such sensors 35002 may consist of avertical optical beam, either employing an emitter and detector, oremploying a combination emitter/detector and a reflector. In a vacuumhandling facility, the training of robotic stations is commonlyaccomplished by a skilled operator who views the position of the robotarm and materials and adjusts the robot position to ensure that thematerial 35014 is deposited in the correct location. However, frequentlythese positions are very difficult to observe, and parallax and otheroptical problems present significant obstacles in properly training arobotic system. Hence a training procedure can consume many hours ofequipment downtime.

Several automated training applications have been developed, but theymay involve running the robotic arm into a physical obstacle such as awall or edge. This approach has significant downsides to it: physicallytouching the robot to an obstacle risks damage to either the robot orthe obstacle, for example many robot end effectors are constructed usingceramic materials that are brittle, but that are able to withstand veryhigh wafer temperatures. Similarly, inside many process modules thereobjects that are very fragile and easily damaged. Furthermore, it maynot be possible to employ these auto-training procedures with certainmaterials, such as a wafer 31008 present on the robot end effector.Moreover, the determination of vertical position is more difficultbecause upward or downward force on the arm caused by running into anobstacle is much more difficult to detect.

In the systems described herein, a series of sensors 35002-35010 mayinclude horizontal sensors 35004-35010 and vertical sensors 35002. Thiscombination of sensors 35002-35010 may allow detection, for examplethrough optical beam breaking, of either a robotic end effector, arm, ora handled object. The vertical sensor 35002 may be placed slightlyoutside the area of the wafer 31008 when the robotic arm 35018 is in aretracted position. The vertical sensor 35002 may also, or instead, beplaced in a location such as a point 35012 within the wafer that iscentered in front of the entrance opening and covered by the wafer whenthe robot is fully retracted. In this position the sensor may be able totell the robotic controller that it has successfully picked up a wafer31008 from a peripheral module.

Horizontal sensors 35004-35010 may also be advantageously employed. Invacuum cluster tools, horizontal sensors 35004-35010 are sometimesimpractical due to the large diameter of the vacuum chamber, which maymake alignment of the horizontal sensors 35004-35010 more complicated.In the systems described above, the chamber size may be reducedsignificantly, thus may make it practical to include one or morehorizontal sensors 35004-35010.

FIG. 36 illustrates other possible locations of the horizontal sensors35004-35010 and vertical sensors 35002, such as straight across thechamber (36002 and 36008) and/or through mirrors 36006 placed inside thevacuum system.

FIG. 37 illustrates a possible advantage of placing the sensor 35002slightly outside the wafer 37001 radius when the robot arm is fullyretracted. During a retract motion the sensor 35002 detects the leadingedge of the wafer 37001 at point “a” 37002 and the trailing edge atpoint “b” 37004. These results may indicate that the wafer 37001 wassuccessfully retrieved, but by tying the sensor 35002 signal to theencoders, resolvers or other position elements present in the roboticdrive, one can also calculate if the wafer 37001 is centered withrespect to the end effector. The midpoint of the line segment “a-b” 3700should correspond to the center of the end effector because of thecircular geometry of a wafer 37001. If the wafer 37001 slips on the endeffector, inconsistent length measurements may reveal the slippage.

Additionally, during a subsequent rotation and movement, a second linesegment “c-d” 3700 may be detected when the wafer 37001 edges passthrough the sensor. Again, the midpoint between “c” 37008 and “d” 37010should coincide with the center of the end effector, and may permit ameasurement or confirmation of wafer centering.

The above method may allow the robot to detect the wafer 37001 as wellas determine if the wafer 37001 is off-set from the expected location onthe end effector.

The combination of horizontal and vertical sensors 35002-35010 may allowthe system to be taught very rapidly using non-contact methods: therobotic arm and end effectors may be detected optically without the needfor mechanical contact. Furthermore, the optical beams can be usedduring real-time wafer 37001 handling to verify that wafers 37001 are inthe correct position during every wafer 37001 handling move.

FIG. 38 illustrates a conventional vacuum drive with two rotary axes38020 and 38018 and a vertical (Z) axis 38004. A bellows 38016 may allowfor the vertical Z-axis 38002 motion. A thin metal cylinder 38024affixed to the bottom of the bellows 18016 may provide a vacuum barrierbetween the rotor and the stator of the motors 38010 and 38014. Thisarrangement may require in-vacuum placement of many components:electrical wires and feedthroughs, encoders, signal LEDs and pick-ups38008, bearings 38012, and magnets 38006. Magnets 38006, bearings 38012,wires and connectors, and encoders can be susceptible to residualprocessing gasses present in the vacuum environment. Furthermore, it maybe difficult to remove gasses trapped in the bottom of the cylinder38024, as the gasses may have to follow a convoluted path 38022 whenevacuated.

FIG. 39 illustrates a vacuum robot drive that may be used with thesystems described herein. The rotary drive forces may be provided by twomotor cartridges 39004 and 39006. Each cartridge may have an integralencoder 39008, bearings 39018 and magnets 39020. Some or all of thesecomponents may be positioned outside the vacuum envelope. A concentricdual-shaft rotary seal unit 39016 may provide vacuum isolation for therotary motion using, for example, lip-seals or ferrofluidic seals. Thisapproach may reduce the number of components inside the vacuum system.It may also permit servicing of the motors 39004, 39006 and encoders39008 without breaking vacuum, thereby increasing serviceability of thedrive unit.

FIG. 40A shows a stacked vacuum load lock 4008, 40004 for enteringmaterials into a vacuum environment. One limiting factor on bringingwafers 31008 into a vacuum system is the speed with which the load lockcan be evacuated to high vacuum. If the load lock is pumped too fast,condensation may occur in the air in the load lock chamber, resulting inprecipitation of nuclei on the wafer 31008 surfaces, which can result inparticles and can cause defects or poor device performance. Clustertools may employ two load locks side by side, each of which isalternately evacuated. The pumping speed of each load lock can thus beslower, resulting in improved performance of the system. With two loadlocks 400 in a vertical stack, the equipment footprint stays very small,but retains the benefit of slower pumping speed. In embodiments, theload lock 40004 can be added as an option. In embodiments the roboticarms 4004 and 40006 can each access either one of the two load locks400. In embodiments the remaining handoff module 7008 could be a singlelevel handoff module.

FIG. 40B shows another load lock layout. In this figure wafers 31008 canbe entered and can exit at two levels on either side of the system, butfollow a shared level in the rest of the system.

FIG. 41 details how the previous concept of stacked load locks 400840004 can be also implemented throughout a process by stacking twoprocess modules 41006, 41008. Although such modules would not becompliant with the SEMI standard, such an architecture may offersignificant benefits in equipment footprint and throughput.

FIG. 42 shows a system with two handling levels 4008, 40004, 4010,42004: wafers may be independently transported between modules usingeither the top link 40006 or the bottom link 4004. Optionally, eachhandling level may have two load locks to provide the advantage ofreduced evacuation speed noted above. Thus a system with four input loadlocks, two handling levels, and optionally four output load locks, isalso contemplated by description provided herein, as are systems withadditional load lock and handling levels.

FIG. 43 shows a top view of the system of FIG. 42.

FIG. 44 depicts a special instrumented object 44014, such as a wafer.One or more sensors 44010 may be integrated into the object 44014, andmay be able to detect environmental factors around the object 44014. Thesensors 44010 may include proximity sensors such as capacitive, opticalor magnetic proximity sensors. The sensors 44010 may be connected to anamplifier/transmitter 44012, which may use battery power to transmitradio frequency or other sensor signals, such as signals conforming tothe 802.11b standard, to a receiver 44004.

In many instances it may be difficult or impossible to putinstrumentation on an object 44014 used to train a robot, because thewires that are needed to power and communicate to the instruments andsensors interfere with proper robotic motion or with the environmentthat the robot moves through. By employing a wireless connection to theobject, the problem of attached wires to the object may be resolved.

The object 44014 can be equipped with numerous sensors of differenttypes and in different geometrically advantageous patterns. In thepresent example, the sensors 1 through 6 (44010) are laid out in aradius equal to the radius of the target object 44008. In embodimentsthese sensors are proximity sensors. By comparing the transient signalsfrom the sensors 44010, for example sensor 1 and sensor 6, it can bedetermined if the object 44014 is approaching a target 44008 at thecorrect orientation. If the target 44008 is not approached correctly,one of the two sensors 44010 may show a premature trigger. By monitoringmultiple sensors 44010, the system may determine if the object 44010 isproperly centered above the target 44008 before affecting a handoff. Thesensors 44010 can be arranged in any pattern according to, for example,efficiency of signal analysis or any other constraints. Radio frequencysignals also advantageously operate in a vacuum environment.

FIG. 45 shows the system of FIG. 44 in a side orientation illustratingthe non-contact nature of orienting the instrumented object 44014 to atarget 44008. The sensors 44010 may include other sensors for measuringproperties of the target 44008, such as temperature.

FIG. 46 depicts radio frequency communication with one or more sensors.A radio frequency sensor signal 44016 may be transmitted to an antenna46002 within a vacuum. Appropriate selection of wavelengths may improvesignal propagation with a fully metallic vacuum enclosure. The use ofsensors in wireless communication with an external receiver andcontroller may provide significant advantages. For example, thistechnique may reduce the time required for operations such as findingthe center of a target, and information from the sensor(s) may beemployed to provide visual feedback to an operator, or to automatecertain operations using a robotic arm. Furthermore, the use of one ormore sensors may permit measurements within the chamber that wouldotherwise require release of the vacuum to open and physically inspectthe chamber. This may avoid costly or time consuming steps inconditioning the interior of the chamber, such as depressurization andbaking (to drive out moisture or water vapor).

FIG. 47 illustrates the output from multiple sensors 44010 as a functionof the robot movement. When the robot moves over the target 44008 themotion may result in the sensors providing information about, forexample, distance to the target 44008 if the sensors are proximitysensors. The signals can be individually or collectively analyzed todetermine a location for the target 44008 relative to the sensors.Location or shape may be resolved in difference directions by moving thesensor(s) in two different directions and monitoring sensor signals,without physically contacting the target 44008.

FIG. 48 depicts a technique for inserting and removing wafers 48008 froma vacuum system. One or more heating elements, such as a set of heatingelements 48002, 48004, and 48006 may be employed, individually or incombination, to heat a chamber 4008 and a substrate material 48008 to anelevated temperature of 50° C. to 400° C. or more. This increase instarting temperature may mitigate condensation that would otherwiseoccur as pressure decreases in the chamber, and may allow for a morerapid pump down sequence to create a vacuum. When heated wafers 48008are moved to the load lock 4008 by the robotic arm 4002, they may besignificantly warmer than shelves 48004, 48006, such that shelves 48004,48006 may cool the wafers on contact. A heating power supply mayregulate heat provided to the shelves 4800 to maintain a desiredtemperature for the shelves and/or wafers. A suitable material selectionfor the shelves 48004, 48006 may result in the system reacting quicklyto heating power changes, resulting in the possibility of differenttemperature settings for different conditions, for example a highertemperature setting during pump-down of the chamber 4008 and a lowersetting during venting of chamber 4008.

Preheating the wafers 48008 may reduce condensation and particles whilereducing process time. At the same time, the wafers 48008 may be too hotwhen exiting the system, such that they present a safety hazard, or melthandling and support materials such as plastic. Internal temperatures ofabout 80 to 100° C. degrees, and external temperatures of about 50° C.degrees or less may, for example, meet these general concerns.

FIG. 49 illustrates a robotic end effector 49002. The robotic endeffector 49002 may be tapered so that it has a non-uniform thicknessthrough one or more axes. For example, the robotic end effector 49002may have a taper when viewed from the side or from the top. The tapermay mitigate resonant vibrations along the effector 49002. At the sametime, a relatively narrow cross-sectional profile (when viewed from theside) may permit easier maneuvering between wafers. The side-view tapermay be achieved by grinding or machining, or by a casting process of theeffector 49002 with a taper. Materials such as Aluminum Silicon Carbide(AlSiC 9) may be advantageously cast into this shape to avoid subsequentmachining or other finishing steps. A casting process offers theadditional advantage that the wafer support materials 49004 can be castinto the mold during the casting process, thereby reducing the number ofcomponents that require physical assembly.

As shown in FIG. 50, similar techniques may be applied to robotic armsegments 50002 and 50004. The same dampening effect may be achieved toattenuate resonant vibrations in the arm segments 5000 as describedabove. The tapered shape may be achieved using a variety of knownprocesses, and may allow more rapid movement and more precise controlover a resulting robotic arm segment.

FIGS. 51A and 51B shows a dual independent SCARA arm employing fivemotors 51014. Each lower arm 51002 and 51008 can be independentlyactuated by the motors 51014. The arms are connected at the distal endto upper arms 51004 and 51010. The configuration gives a relativelysmall retract radius, but a somewhat limited extension.

FIG. 52 shows a dual dependent SCARA arm employing 4 motors 52010. Thelinks 52002 and 52004 may be common to the end effectors 52006 and52008. The motors 52010 may control the end effectors 52006 and 52008 insuch a way that during an extension motion of the lower arm 52002, thedesired end effector, (say 52008) may be extended into the processingmodules, whereas the inactive end effector (say 52006) may be pointedaway from the processing module.

FIG. 53 shows a frog-leg style robotic arm. The arm can be used inconnection with various embodiments described herein, such as to enablepassing of workpieces, such as semiconductor wafers, from arm-to-arm ina series of such arms, such as to move workpieces among semiconductorprocess modules.

FIG. 54 shows a dual frog-leg arm that can be employed in a planarrobotic system, such as one of the linear, arm-to-arm systems describedin this disclosure.

FIG. 55A illustrates a 4-Link SCARA arm as described in this disclosuremounted to a cart 55004. Such a cart may move in a linear fashion by aguide rail or magnetic levitation track 55008 and driven by a motor55002 internal or external to the system. The 4-Link SCARA arm has theadvantage that it fold into a smaller retract radius than a 3-Link SCARAarm, while achieving a larger extension into a peripheral module such asa process module all the while avoiding a collision with the openingthat the arm has to reach through. An inverted cart 55006 could be usedto pass substrates over the cart 55004.

FIG. 55B shows a top view of the system described in FIG. 55A.

FIG. 56 illustrates a linear system described in this disclosure using acombination of dual independent and single SCARA robotic arms. Such asystem may not be as compact as a system employing a 4-Link SCARA armrobotic system.

FIG. 57 demonstrates a vertically stacked handling system employing a4-Link SCARA robotic arm, where the arm can reach any and all of theperipheral process modules 5002. By rotating the process modules in thetop level 57004 by approximately 45 degrees and mounting the top levelcomponents to the bottom level chambers 57002, the top and bottom ofeach of the process modules may remain exposed for service access aswell as for mounting components such as pumps, electrodes, gas lines andthe like. The proposed layout may allow for the combination of sevenprocess modules 5002 in a very compact space.

FIG. 58A illustrates a variation of FIG. 57, where the bottom level58002 of the system consists of a plurality of robotic systems asdescribed in this disclosure and the top level system 58004 employsprocess modules 5002 oriented at a 45 degree angle to the main systemaxis. The proposed layout allows for the combination of nine processmodules 5002 in a very compact space.

FIG. 58B illustrates a variation of FIG. 58A with the use of a rear-exitload lock facility to remove substrates such as semiconductor wafersfrom the system.

FIG. 59A shows a linear handling system accommodating large substrateprocessing modules 59004 while still allowing for service access 59002,and simultaneously still providing locations for two standard sizedprocess module 5002.

FIG. 59B demonstrates a system layout accommodating four large processmodules 59004 and a standard sized process module 59002 while stillallowing service access to the interior of process modules 59002.

FIG. 60 shows a dual frog robot with arms substantially on the same sideof the robotic drive component. The lower arms 60002 support two sets ofupper arms 60004 which are mechanically coupled to the motor set 54010.

Having thus described several illustrative embodiments, it is to beappreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvementswill readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations,modifications, and improvements are intended to form a part of thisdisclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of thisdisclosure. While some examples presented herein involve specificcombinations of functions or structural elements, it should beunderstood that those functions and elements may be combined in otherways according to the present invention to accomplish the same ordifferent objectives. In particular, acts, elements, and featuresdiscussed in connection with one embodiment are not intended to beexcluded from similar or other roles in other embodiments. Accordingly,the foregoing description and attached drawings are by way of exampleonly, and are not intended to be limiting.

1. A system comprising: a front end module operating in an atmosphericenvironment; a first robotic handler operating in a vacuum environment;a load lock coupling the front end module to the first robotic handler,the load lock adapted to transfer a workpiece between the atmosphericenvironment and the vacuum environment; and a second robotic handleroperating in the vacuum environment, the second robotic handler operableto exchange the workpiece with the first robotic handler using two ormore vertically offset locations for handoff between the first robotichandler and the second robotic handler, the two or more verticallyoffset locations corresponding to workpiece transfer planes fortransferring workpieces to respective process modules disposed in aplane of each of the two or more vertically offset locations.
 2. Amethod comprising: retrieving a workpiece with a first robotic arm in afirst horizontal plane; moving the workpiece to a second horizontalplane vertically offset from the first horizontal plane; and handing theworkpiece off to a second robotic arm in the second horizontal plane,wherein the first and second horizontal planes correspond to workpiecetransfer planes into and out of vertically stacked workpiece holdingmodules connected to the first and second robotic arms.
 3. The method ofclaim 2 wherein handing the workpiece off includes placing the workpieceat a buffer station.
 4. The method of claim 2 further comprising movingthe workpiece to the first horizontal plane with the second robotic arm.